vrcanaries Chapter 231 Triumph and Desire
Chapter 231 Triumph and Desire
He Zhang regretted it after Ye Xiao ran away; he should have said it outright.
Xiao Ye has always been very wary of people who rush to him; he actually has nothing to be jealous of.
He thought Ye Xiao would avoid him for two days, but unexpectedly, Ye Xiao returned in just over an hour.
They both said sorry in unison, and for some reason, they looked at each other and smiled.
The older couple was deeply in love, and the younger couple was also getting along well. The Marquis's mansion had also been renovated.
On an auspicious day, the Great Jin Dynasty held its first large-scale banquet after the national mourning period.
The last banquet Xiao Yuan attended was when he got married. At that time, Zhang Zhongyi and a dim-witted scholar caused quite a stir and made things rather unpleasant.
In just over a year, he never imagined he could climb so fast.
Now, his housewarming celebration is attended by high-ranking officials, nobles, princes, and prince consorts, making the event far more grand than before.
Before the banquet began, a ceremony was held where Ye Xiao officially changed his name to Xiao Mo and was added to the family genealogy.
The imperial decree has arrived, and the former Young Master Ye has become the current Prince Xiao, without even having to be demoted in rank when inheriting the title.
According to the rules of the Great Jin Dynasty, the rank of a title is reduced when it is inherited. If you are a marquis, you will only be a count if your son succeeds you after your death.
This process continues generation after generation, and if a family has no promising descendants, their title will eventually be reduced to that of an ordinary gentry.
The emperor in power rarely allows someone to inherit a title without being demoted.
After all, the higher the rank, the higher the salary, but also the more money it costs. Even emperors have to make ends meet.
Only those who made significant contributions to the emperor were exceptionally allowed to avoid being demoted.
This is also the main reason why noble families always liked to get involved in the struggle for the throne among the princes, hoping to gain merit in supporting the emperor.
Falling from a great height is a terrible feeling.
When he was a child, he was the grandson of the Duke, and he was so precious that he could talk to some princes and princesses.
As a result, when he inherited the title, he was only a minor viscount and couldn't even get into some high-class banquets. Anyone with a bit of ambition felt a sense of disappointment.
It would be better to take advantage of the family's current power and gamble by associating with a prince.
If the gamble pays off, the wealth can be passed down for several more generations.
This banquet made Jiang Xinyu the center of attention, and although she herself didn't care, she was the envy of all the ladies and young women.
This Prince Xiao was directly registered under the name of the Lady of the Marquis, so theoretically he was her biological son.
Moreover, the fact that this heir can inherit the title without being demoted means that Jiang Xinyu is now the Marquis's wife and will be the Marquis's mother in the future, guaranteeing her a life of wealth and honor.
So what if they weren't my own children?
As a mere eunuch without biological parents, Prince Xiao had no reason to disregard etiquette and earn a reputation for being unfilial.
On the other hand, they are not.
Those with sons are better off; they might be harmed by those little bitches in their backyard, even if they do their best to protect and pamper them.
If a woman doesn't have a son, the situation is even worse; if her maternal family loses power, she might not even be able to save her life.
No family is willing to hand over their title to an outsider. Those without a legitimate son would rather have their first wife die and then marry a second wife to have a legitimate son.
Only the concubines and illegitimate children in the back courtyard longed to be adopted.
After all, an adopted nephew is never as good as a biological son, who is one's own bloodline.
The head of the family relinquishes his title but distributes his property to his illegitimate sons so they can live better lives.
However, if the eldest son inherits the throne, their father will naturally favor the eldest son.
It's uncertain how much property these illegitimate sons will receive.
It wasn't just about whether one was favored by one's father, but also whether one's aunt was favored.
While most people's backyards are filled with turmoil, Jiang Xinyu, as the Lady of the Marquis, is an exception that evokes envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Without the troubles of in-laws, sisters-in-law, or concubines, life is unimaginably comfortable.
Young wives and unmarried girls don't think about all that, but the older the service workers are, the more they understand how valuable this is.
Isn't it just that Chief Supervisor Xiao is impotent?
It's not a big deal. Aside from the first few years, they were living like widows all along.
If you happen to be lucky enough to get a more particular one, that's fine.
If they happen to be with a woman who doesn't care about smells and loves to frequent brothels, they'll have nowhere to turn if they get sick.
To be honest, after having a son, they themselves don't want men to come into their rooms.
If it weren't for the fear of concubines climbing over him, who would want to compete for that favor?
The banquet at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was widely talked about, and Jiang Huai, Xiao Yuan's father-in-law, also stole the show.
Even high-ranking officials who would never have given him a second glance before were now rushing to greet him. This guy had never been so proud and dignified in his entire life.
It's a pity that his son-in-law was indifferent to him.
Another issue is that his official position has never been promoted and he has never been given important responsibilities.
He felt he couldn't continue like this, and that he would still have a chance to talk to his daughter about it later.
His daughter, Yu'er, is a filial child.
Now that she's a Marquis's wife, it's embarrassing for her that her own father is still stuck in a lowly fourth-rank position.
The male guests didn't pay much attention to the intricacies of the inner quarters.
Knowing only that Jiang Huai was Xiao Yuan's father-in-law, they became even more respectful, which made it even harder for this guy to find them.
The situation was quite the opposite for the women.
Liu forced a smile through gritted teeth, but all she received in return was ridicule and mockery.
The Jiang family's dirty secrets can't be kept hidden from anyone.
The feud between the legitimate daughter, whose mother died young, and the concubine and the innocent illegitimate daughter of the head of the household had long been known among the officials' wives.
In particular, the wives of officials of the fourth or fifth rank who had been close to them in the past had been telling the wives of high-ranking officials a lot of old stories these days.
Looking at Jiang Xinyu's cold, insincere attitude, who wouldn't guess that the relationship between the Lady of the Marquis and her family is quite delicate?
Out of respect for etiquette and filial piety, I can't say anything, but I guess the bride's family is no different from her enemy's.
Didn't you see that throughout the banquet, he hasn't paid any attention to Liu except for a brief greeting? But he's been holding hands with his aunt like they're mother and daughter, never letting go of her.
Chief Supervisor Xiao was not easy to talk to, and Madam Hou was also not fond of socializing. However, when the ladies saw Madam Wang, their eyes lit up.
Many interested people have already started to strike up conversations with him.
What does it matter if she's a merchant's wife? She can't compete with someone having a good niece.
Madam Wang came all the way from Jiangnan to celebrate with Jiang Xinyu. Not only did she come, but her youngest son and the two sons of Qian Erjiu also came.
Now that her niece's husband holds a high position of power and influence, and these three boys are all somewhat talented in their studies, they also want to take this opportunity to change their social standing.
Madam Wang was truly happy for Jiang Xinyu; she never imagined that this unfortunate child would one day become a first-rank imperial consort.
Watching Jiang Xinyu befriend the powerful Liu Shi with Madam Wang, I felt like my palms were about to bleed.
She was filled with regret. If she had known, she would have been willing to risk her dowry to get that little bitch back.
The thought of Jiang Wanqiu, still delirious and ill in bed, made Liu Shi want to rush up and scratch Jiang Xinyu's face.
When Jiang Huai returned, he was completely drunk, and he even slapped Liu twice as he entered the door.
He disliked Liu's mournful face, thinking it was unlucky.
This woman doesn't even consider that she can't be happy when her own daughter is sick while her rival's daughter is making a fortune.
Liu felt wronged but had nowhere to confide in, so she could only keep it to herself. She was even somewhat relieved that her daughter Wanqiu hadn't gone to the banquet.
She would vomit blood just looking at such a scene; Wanqiu, that strong-willed girl, couldn't possibly bear it.
This time, it seems Liu was overthinking things.
If it were the Jiang Wanqiu of the past, she would not have been able to bear it, but the Jiang Wanqiu who has been reborn is the one who was once the wife of a marquis.
Zhao Chengye's death was indeed a huge blow to her, but now she has regained her spirits and is ready to take revenge.
Jiang Wanqiu chewed on Jiang Xinyu's name, her eyes bloodshot and her expression ferocious.
Isn't it just that they were reborn early and took advantage of the prophet?
How much can someone who dies young know? Your good days are numbered too.